Tell HUD to Protect Housing Opportunities for Immigrant Families

Millions of people in the United States are already struggling to afford their rent or mortgage, and now the Trump administration is considering a policy change that would cause nearly 80,000 people – including 57,000 children – to lose their homes.

On February 20, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed a new rule that would block mixed-status families from receiving help in paying their housing costs. (“Mixed-status” means families that include U.S. citizens and immigrants who are eligible for support, and immigrant family members who are not eligible for support.)

The proposed rule would also require U.S. citizens to prove their citizenship to get housing assistance, adding extra barriers that will prevent many people from getting the support they need.

You have until April 21 to tell HUD you oppose this change.

What Housing Support Do Mixed-Status Families Currently Have?

Eligible immigrants can receive HUD housing assistance such as:

• Public housing
• Housing Choice Vouchers
• Section 8 project-based rental assistance
• Some rural housing programs

Mixed-status families are eligible if at least one family member is a U.S. citizen or has an eligible immigration status. Today, families can receive prorated assistance: for example, a family of four with one ineligible parent would receive assistance as a family of three. So, a person who is not eligible for benefits won’t receive any benefits directly, but is still allowed to live in the same house as a family member who does receive benefits.

This system allows families to avoid choosing between separation and eviction, while making sure federal assistance only goes to eligible individuals. This was Congress’s intent when they revised housing laws in 1996.

What are the Proposed Changes to the Rule?

The Trump administration’s illegal proposal would bar mixed-status families from living together in federally assisted housing. Under the proposed change, just the presence of one ineligible person would mean the entire family would no longer be allowed to remain in their home, even though U.S. citizens make up two-thirds of all people in mixed-status households.

In addition, the rule requires proof of citizenship, which more than 9 percent of U.S. citizens – over 20 million people – don’t have easy access to. This burden will fall hardest on older adults, people with disabilities, people of color, and low-income households – the same groups statistically more likely to need housing assistance. This is because it can be difficult to travel to government offices, the cost of requesting or replacing documents is very high, and some citizens never received a birth certificate when they were born. People who have fled natural disasters or domestic violence may also have trouble finding or replacing their documents.

Children in mixed-status families will be among the most harmed by this proposed rule, which will force many families to either separate or face homelessness.

How Does the Proposed Change Hurt Families?

HUD’s own analysis shows that the proposal will cost the agency more money while helping fewer families.

Family separation can also cause long-term harm to children including increased risks to their physical and mental health issues, and effects on education, employment, and well-being.

Housing instability also affects mental and physical health, makes it harder to stay in school or keep a job, and weakens support networks — impacts that are particularly serious for children. These harms come with significant costs: housing instability is projected to cost more than $111 billion over the next decade.

This harm will also further long-term racial disparities, with Black and brown children most affected by the new rule. 1 in 4 children in the U.S. is Latine and more than half live with at least one foreign-born parent. More than 7 percent of ineligible noncitizens living in HUD housing are Black.

What You Can Do to Stop This Policy Change

This proposed rule targets families who rely on affordable housing, including U.S. citizens and eligible immigrants. It will reduce the number of people receiving housing assistance, increase costs, and cause long-term harm to communities. It also goes against HUD’s mission to expand access to affordable housing and strengthen neighborhoods. No honest policy solution to the country’s housing crisis would be to spend more while pushing thousands of additional families out of their homes. The policy behind this proposal is cruelty — to make life harder for immigrant families.

You can join us in opposing this proposed rule by submitting a comment until the April 21 deadline.